If your friend loves to have a good time, you might as well join the party. Get creative with your wedding present by gifting something that will add to the festivities. From a racy game of Cards Against Humanity to a Fujifilm Instax mini camera, these gifts are sure to have your newlyweds loving their new lives.
Spoil the host with the most in your life with one of these fun gifts.
Ah, weddings. Incredibly happy and emotional, your big day can also be a site of embarrassment if things go wrong. And with so many moving parts, something is bound to happen.
Recently, popular late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon asked his viewers to share their most embarrassing wedding fails, and their responses definitely did not disappoint. Here are a few of our favourites:
I landed on my head doing a backflip at my brother’s wedding. #weddingfail It felt like it happened so fast, I got back up and thought no one would notice. See for yourself… pic.twitter.com/6fDsyBUiBG
My mom sat on a hot curling iron while getting ready for the big day. It stuck to her butt and had to be pulled off by the bridesmaids, along with several layers of skin. Probably ruined the honeymoon too. #weddingfail
my husband’s work friends asked him what to wear to the wedding and he responded with, “Whatever you want” so they showed up in booty shorts, boots, Christmas suit jacket & cowboy hats #WeddingFailspic.twitter.com/MnmTB8HnS9
When the bride threw her bouquet, all the single ladies rushed in to grab it. Problem was a kid was goofing around and threw himself in front of their legs. One bride’s maid hit him, fell on her face, passed out and broke two front teeth.#weddingFail
As we’re down in Zihuatanejo celebrating our 7th anniversary today…it brings me back to the day a random Mexican beach dog thought it would be ok to relieve himself on our chuppah!! #weddingfailpic.twitter.com/0DZk2php7T
My husband was best man in a wedding where the groom was so drunk that we needed to drag him into the back seat of his own car and then onto a luggage cart to get him to his hotel room. The father of the bride took photos of his head in a toilet as blackmail. #WeddingFailpic.twitter.com/V2zHhLNgnx
My mother was tasked with playing the music for my cousins wedding on an old school CD player. Micheal Bolton disc. Hit the wrong track and played “I Thought I Loved You But I Lied” for the wedding processional. #WeddingFail
The secret garden, where romance and whimsy awaits. Such is the fashion story Monique Lhuillier weaves together with her latest bridal collection inspired by the Italian countryside.
With her newest line, Lhuillier encourages brides to make bold statements in an accessible, timeless fashion. Her designs are simple yet amplified, for the versatile modern bride. Bliss Monique Lhuillier Fall 2020 takes a sensual approach to classic silhouettes through matte sequin tulle, abstract floral beadwork and dimensional jacquard organza. Classic cuts are taken to the next level with ballooned sleeves, exaggerated trains and statement veils.
“An exuberance of colour; Monique Lhuillier Fall 2020 Bridal is a celebration of life,” explains the official website. “Embracing individualism, this season is all about bold colourful florals, botanical prints, and epic proportions. Silhouettes of poetic grandeur with billowing sleeves and exaggerated trains add a modern twist to traditional elements. Versatile components such as seamlessly detachable boleros, capes, and over the top veils complete each look. This Bride will leave a lasting impression”
“It’s about joy and romance, and I wanted to bring it to a storybook level,” Lhuillier explains to Vogue.
Here are a few of our favourite looks from the collection.
Brides opt to do their own makeup for a multitude of reasons. Maybe you want to save more money, maybe there’s a specific look you want or maybe you just enjoy doing makeup. Regardless of the reason, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared to take on this task.
Here are some tips to have you looking your best on your big day.
Keep your location, theme, wedding dress and weather in mind:
First things first, think logistics. If you’re going for a specific theme for your wedding, you don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb with your makeup. For example, a bold smokey eye might clash with a botanical-inspired wedding in a local garden. You also have to consider how the wedding might affect your face beat. If it’s going to be hot, you’ll want to use products that reduce oil and won’t melt too drastically in the heat.
Start with eyes first:
If you’re doing a specific eye look, its best to start there first before applying your face makeup. This way, you can clean up any fallout and avoid the dreaded mascara flecks on your under eyes.
Don’t go beyond your abilities:
Love a bold winged liner but whenever you try, it ends up looking like a chunky piece of liquorice on your eye? You’re not alone. Yes, there are so many trends and looks that are beautiful but if you can’t do it, you’ll end up frustrating yourself on what is meant to be a happy day. Stick to what you know and you won’t start your day cursing the heavens above for your wonky cut-crease.
Practice, practice, practice:
Ideally, you want your makeup application to be stress-free and easy. The best way to do this is to practice your final look a few times so that it becomes second nature. Before your wedding day, make sure to give your application three trial runs in which you time yourself to see how long it takes to complete your look. Make sure to also wear your look throughout the day to see how it wears, and take photos under a variety of lighting to see how your look will photograph. No one wants flashback on their big day!
Blend the day away:
Every part of your makeup will be made so much better if you remember the cardinal rule: blend! Want flawless skin? Blend. Perfectly diffused eyeshadow? Blend. Remember to blend your foundation down your neck, chest and even onto your ears to maintain an even finish.
Give yourself time:
Please, please do not leave doing your makeup to the last minute. You might end up feeling rushed and end up not doing as great a job as you would have liked. Ideally, you should set aside an hour and a half to do your makeup, and still have plenty of time afterwards for any final touches once you’ve got your full look on. Remember, this is your big day and you want to look your best!
We know what you’re thinking. Yes, ruffles can feel very childish, but they can also be incredibly whimsical and fresh. Ruffles add delicate yet lively detail to your wedding dress. Imagine the fun you can have playing with your skirt!
Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Pre-Fall 2019 collection for Valentino saw a resurgence of ruffles, followed by Dior, Comme de Garcons and Marc Jacobs. Ever since then the trend has permeated street style as fashion steers towards a more ‘frou-frou’ aesthetic.
Stay on trend yet classic with these fun and flouncy finishes.
“I wanna make you smile whenever you’re sad / Carry you around when your arthritis is bad / All I wanna do is grow old with you.” These iconic lyrics from The Wedding Singer’s proposal scene have gone down in history, much loved by people the world over. This couple loved the movie so much that the man decided to recreate the moment for their very own proposal.
Fun-loving couple Jason and Chantel are huge fans of The Wedding Singer. So much so that Jason got in contact with the people at American airline United Airlines to recreate the famous proposal scene to pop the big question himself.
Pretending to go to the bathroom while on flight, Jason instead goes to the loudspeaker where he begins singing the song from the film. He then walks down the aisle, guitar in hand, to serenade his future bride.
February is Black History Month in the United States and to honour African tradition, a church in Atlanta Georgia hosted a Wakanda-themed mass wedding.
New Birth Missionary Baptist Church hosts an annual mass wedding called ‘The Vow’, in which they aim to cut down the financial burdens of hosting a wedding.
“We wanted to remove the financial barriers that would burden or even deter couples from having a wedding ceremony,” explains New Birth Senior Pastor Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant. “Marriage not only signifies a commitment between two people, but also is an outward demonstration of a commitment and bond that symbolizes God’s love for the church.”
On February 16 this year, 12 couples said ‘I do’ during the mass wedding themed “A Wedding in Wakanda”. Guests were encouraged to wear traditional African clothing to honour Black History Month.
Credit: Instagram / New Birth Missionary Baptist ChurchCredit: Instagram / New Birth Missionary Baptist ChurchCredit: Instagram / New Birth Missionary Baptist ChurchCredit: Instagram / New Birth Missionary Baptist Church
Wakanda is the fictional African country home to Marvel’s Black Panther. Ever since the Black Panther film hit theatres, people around the world revelled in the movie’s portrayal of black superheroes and African ingenuity.
Singer Kelly Price serenaded the couples on their big day.
Feature image: Instagram / New Birth Missionary Baptist Church
On your big day, you want to look like the best version of yourself. As the literal base of your makeup, foundation helps to create an even, flawless complexion on which you can build to achieve your perfect look. Foundation is not one-size-fits-all, and its important to find the one that works best for you (if you choose to wear foundation at all).
The type of foundation you choose will depend on the finish you desire, and it can be quite tricky to figure it out if you’re not a beauty guru. Fear not, we’ve got the breakdown. Finding the right foundation for your skin requires you to consider four different elements: coverage, type, finish and shade.
Coverage
Foundation comes in three main types depending on the amount of coverage you want: full, medium and sheer coverage. This is up to personal preference. Full coverage gives you the most even, flawless finish, while a sheer coverage or a tinted moisturiser will mostly give an overall skin-tint and slightly cover a few blemishes. Medium coverage falls somewhere between these two, offering up buildable coverage that evens out your tone while still allowing your skin to shine through.
Type
Once you’ve decided on the coverage you want, you can begin to look at foundation types. Foundation generally come in liquid form, in a stick, as a whipped mousse and as a powder.
Liquid foundation is the easiest and most accessible to use. Liquid glides on easily and blends the best for the most even finish, however it can exaggerate oil-prone skin. It can be applied using a brush, beauty sponge or even your fingers.
A stick foundation is creamier and thicker in consistency than a liquid foundation. However, there is quite a bit of buffing that is required with this foundation to make sure you get an even look. Stick foundations are perfect for contouring and highlighting, as it gives a great colour-payoff that can be blended more naturally into the skin than powder.
A whipped mousse foundation is a liquid foundation that has air incorporated into it, lightening up the texture. This light-weight foundation blends easily and works well for all skin tones.
Powder foundation is easy to apply as it generally requires less blending and comes in a convenient compact case. Powder foundation is perfect for someone who wants a lighter, more matte look. However, it can be quite drying and is generally not great for someone already predisposed to dryness.
Finish
Once you’ve locked down the coverage and type of foundation you want, your second-to-last step is to choose your finish. These are the main foundation finishes:
– Matte foundations eliminate sheen on your face, making it perfect for those with oily skin. Those with blemish or acne-prone skin will like this finish as it provides a poreless filter to the skin. Dry, more mature skin should steer clear of this finish as it can accentuate problem areas.
– Dewy finishes give the wearer a soft, glowing look to the skin and is perfect for dry skin and mature skin as it appears more youthful.
– A Satin finish falls between matte and dewy: close to full coverage but in a more natural way. This finish compliments all skin-types.
Shade match
Unfortunately, the last step is always the hardest. Shade matching your skin to a foundation can be incredibly difficult, especially in store where lighting is not exactly optimal. The key thing to take into account is your skins undertone.Warm undertones reflect traces of red and gold in their skin and typically tan very easily. Cool undertones have hints of ink and blue in their skin and are prone to burn more easily in the sun. A neutral undertone falls in the middle, with an equal mix of cool and warm tones.
When in doubt, many makeup artists create a foundation cocktail, mixing together two or three shades to get the closest match. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
While she will always go down in history as being the violet-eyed star of the silver screen, Elizabeth Taylor also has another title: the celebrity who had been married the most. The iconic actress was married eight times in her life, twice to the same man.
“I am a very committed wife,” Taylor is famous for joking. “And I should be committed, too—for being married so many times.”
We take a look back at her numerous glamorous weddings…
1950-1951: Conrad ‘Nicky’ Hilton
A baby-faced 18-year-old Taylor wed Conrad ‘Nicky’ Hilton, heir to the Hilton Hotel fortune, in a large Los Angeles affair attended by 700 guests. Taylor wore a gown designed by Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer costume-designer Helen Rose, who famously went on to design Grace Kelly’s wedding dress.
Unfortunately the marriage did not last long; the couple split in January the following year.
Credit: Instagram / Elizabeth Taylor
1952-1957: Michael Wilding
Taylor didn’t stay single for long following her divorce. A year later, the starlet was married to British actor Michael Wilding. The bride went more casual this time around, wearing a modest suit with a fitted jacket and a knee-length flared skirt – once again designed by Helen Rose. Her trend-setting sapphire engagement ring inspired many brides for the years following.
Throughout the course of their five-year marriage, the pair had two children: Michael and Christopher. They divorced in 1957.
Credit: Instagram / Elizabeth Taylor
1957-1958: Michael Todd
Husband number three was American film producer Michael Todd. The pair said their ‘I do’s’ in Mexico in a ceremony officiated by the mayor of Acapulco. Not one to wear the same thing twice, Taylor went bold with a hooded gown. Husband-and-wife duo Eddie Fischer and Debbie Reynolds (parents of Carrie Fisher) served as the best man and matron-of-honour respectively.
This marriage was the only one of Taylor’s to not end in divorce; Todd tragically passed away in a private jet crash in 1958. Taylor was originally meant to be on the jet too, but at the last minute stayed home because of a cold. The couple share a daughter together named Liza.
Credit: Instagram / Elizabeth Taylor
1959-1964: Eddie Fisher
Distraught from losing her husband so suddenly, Taylor controversially found comfort in best man Eddie Fischer. The pair grew incredibly close, and ended up getting married in 1959 after Fischer left Debbie Reynolds. Elizabeth converted to Judaism, and the happy couple wed at the Temple Beth Shalom in Las Vegas. Once again, Taylor stunned in a green silk dress with a hood and long sleeves. In another unconventional move, Fisher proposed to Taylor with a 40-carat bracelet made with 50 diamonds.
This marriage, however, was not to be and the pair divorced in 1964.
Credit: Instagram / Elizabeth Taylor
1964-1974:Richard Burton
Taylor’s most famous relationship was with actor Richard Burton. The actors met while filming Cleopatra and began dating in secret. At the time, Burton was married to Welsh actress Sybil Williams and Taylor was still married to Fisher. Their relationship was made public when they were spotted together by paparazzi on a yacht in Italy. Their affair was an international scandal and was even condemned by the Vatican but that wouldn’t stop these love birds. Only nine days after officially splitting from Fischer, Taylor and Burton wed in Montreal, Canada in 1964. Sticking to her colourful train, Taylor wore a canary-yellow chiffon gown and stunning floral headdress – the original flower crown. In another unique choice, Burton decided against an engagement ring, instead proposing with a Bulgari brooch the bride wore on her wedding day.
This was her longest marriage by far, spanning 10 years in which the couple starred in eleven films together before calling it quits (or so we thought).
Credit: Instagram / Elizabeth Taylor
1975-1976: Richard Burton (again)
Burton and Taylor went for round two a year-and-a-half after their divorce, secretly renewing their vows in Botswana in October 1975. Taylor embraced the 70s aesthetic in a unique tie-dye dress. During this marriage, Burton gifted Taylor with the world famous Krupp Diamond, now known as the Elizabeth Taylor diamond, a generous 33.19 carats that sold for $8.8m after Taylors passing.
Of their love, Taylor famously said, “Our love is so furious that we burn each other out”. They divorced again the following July, officially closing the chapter on their book of love although Taylor has called Burton the love of her life.
Credit: Instagram / Elizabeth Taylor
1976 – 1982: John Warner
Tired of actors, Liz married senator John Warner in an intimate ceremony on his cattle farm in Virginia. For their big day, the bride wore a cashmere dress accessorised with a tweed and fur coat, and matching turban.
Unfortunately the politicians wife life was not for Liz; the couple divorced in 1982.
Credit: Instagram / Elizabeth Taylor
1991 – Larry Fortensky
Having been burnt a few times, Taylor took a near decade-long break from marriage before her eighth and final wedding to construction worker Larry Fortensky. The couple met at the Betty Ford rehabilitation clinic where Taylor had checked in for her struggles with alcoholism. The pair truly went all out for this star-studded event that was hosted at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in Santa Ynez Valley, California and was attended by 160 guests, including famous faces like Liza Minnelli, Eddie Murphy, Nancy Reagan, Diane von Furstenberg, Quincy Jones, Macaulay Culkin, and Brooke Shields. Taylor said ‘I do’ in a pale yellow lace Valentino gown.
Unfortunately, this marriage was also not to be. Taylor and Fortensky split five years later.
Those wanting a unique engagement ring, look no further. An opal may be an unconventional choice to centre your engagement ring, but wow is it stunning. This unique gemstone is much loved by many for its mesmerising pattern and kaleidoscope colours.
Birthstone for the month of October, opals can be dated back to 4000 B.C. The gemstone is made up of a solution of silicon dioxide and water. As water runs down the Earth, it collects particles of silica from sandstone. This mixture falls into cracks and voids and as the water evaporates, it leaves behind a silica deposit that will eventually turn into an opal. This, however, is an incredibly slow process, and takes an estimated 5 million years to solidify just one centimetre of opal.
The name is said to be derived from the Roman word ‘Opalus’ which translates into ‘precious stone’, and the Greek derivative ‘Opallios’, meaning ‘to see a change of colour’. The ancient Greeks believed that the gemstone was formed by tears wept by Zeus, God of the sky and thunder, when he defeated the titans. As such, the gemstone was believed to have prophetic powers. The stone is symbolic of purity and hope, protecting the wearer from harm.
Opals can be sorted into two classes: precious and common. Precious opals are iridescent, common opals are not. Precious opals traditionally display two colours: the background colour and their play-of-colour (iridescence). The impurities within the silica determine the stones background colour, and the play-in-colour is created by the way the silica settles together. Those colourful flecks you see in the stone are made up of tiny silica-spheres that reflect light. As a result, opals can come in most colours from red to blue and even black – the rarest form.
There are a multitude of natural opals, such as black opal, white opal, crystal opal and jelly opal. Boulder opals are the most unique and are able to reflect the entire rainbow.
The majority of the world’s opals come from Australia, although other popular countries include Ethiopia, Brazil, and Mexico. Wildly enough, opals have even been discovered on Mars!
The opal market was almost destroyed by author Sir Walter Scott’s 1829 bestselling novel, Anne of Geuerstein, which told the story of a woman accused of being a demoness who died when holy water touched her opal and destroyed it. Opal sales plummeted after the book was published as readers believed the book was warning of the opals bad luck. In 1877 a black opal was discovered in New South Wales, Australia, helping this precious gemstone lose its bad reputation.
Since then, opals have continued to be popular among many. It was Queen Victoria’s favourite stone, and was even dubbed ‘the Queen of Gems’. Other royal icons that shared a love for this precious stone include Cleopatra and Empress Josephine. Millennial brides are loving this one-of-a-kind gemstone for its vintage feel and unique look.
